It’s my Parting Shot for T-F-P’s first of a two-part look at the first round of the N-H-L’s Stanley Cup Playoffs…..
Again, as I said Friday, starting The Fearless Predictor’s picks after the first game has been played in seven of the eight first round series isn’t a massive advantage at all. Outside of one contest, all seven games over the weekend were decided by two goals or fewer and the home team didn’t win every game!
Today, it’ll be a look at the four Eastern Conference quarter-finals followed tomorrow by a peek at the four Western Conference quarters – the latter meaning T-F-P will have the benefit of seeing how Game 1 between Anaheim and Edmonton went, not that I expect my mind will be changed by the result this evening! Also tomorrow, I’ll make a Stanley Cup champion pick and who they will beat in the final set!
The East’s top team, Carolina, is meeting the second wild-card from Ottawa in the opening round. Because the Senators are a Canadian-based team and the national or Toronto-based media outlets lean in on those teams, we are led to believe that the Sens are almost favoured to quell the Hurricanes! Now for some reality, as much as I know that the Canes have stubbed their toes in the last few post-seasons, and as capable as Ottawa is, Carolina will win this series in six games!
The Battle of Pennsylvania is going to be a gooder to watch. As much as I’d like to see Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson have one last good hurrah, I’m taking the younger Flyers to out-skate and out-score the Penguins in six games!
The end of the longest playoff appearance drought in the N-H-L won’t be one round-and-done thing, in my humble opinion. But, it also won’t be a cake walk for Buffalo over Boston. The Bruins can be problematic for the Sabres, as Game 1 showed for 50 minutes. I think this one goes the seven-game distance with Buffalo prevailing!
That leaves Montreal and Tampa Bay. And, as much as I want the Lightning to strike down the Canadiens, losing Game 1 at home is a big issue for the Bolts. You see, if you have home-ice advantage to start a best-of-seven series – better to lose Game 2 than Game 1. The odds are better that you can win three of the last five games, instead of four of the last six games! Hence, as much as it pains me to say it, I’m going with the young and exciting Habs, with their prolific power play, to eliminate Tampa Bay in six games!
That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!
